Monster Train

Monster Train is a deckbuilder that flips the classic "defend against a raid" formula inside out - here the player defends a runaway hellish train from angels trying to seize it floor by floor, with battles taking place simultaneously across three vertically connected decks, forcing the player to constantly shift units between them depending on where the greatest danger looms. Combining two monster factions with distinct abilities lets players build decks with dozens of different synergies and strategies, from mass-poisoning enemies to a single enormously powered giant around which the whole deck is built. A damage-multiplier system also lets even seemingly weak cards generate astronomical numbers by the end of the game, which motivates players to experiment with unconventional combinations instead of relying on proven safe bets.

The Switch version arrived with the complete game, including content that was added gradually on PC, and the handheld's portability suits the genre just as well as it does other card-based roguelikes. The graphic style combines a dark, flame-lit palette with clear card icons, so even on a smaller display the game stays readable in the most hectic moments with dozens of effects on screen at once. The music supports the feeling of inevitably rising pressure as the train climbs toward the final battle against the heavenly triumvirate itself.

Critics especially praised the depth of its strategic options and the boldness of building the game around the unconventional spatial concept of three floors at once, which set it apart from the wave of similar titles that followed Slay the Spire's success. Monster Train became one of the titles cited as an example of how to push the deckbuilder genre further, and the Switch version opened it up to a wider handheld audience that appreciated being able to play long strategic sessions away from the living room as well.

Why play it: For its bold spatial concept of three floors at once, which pushes the deckbuilder genre further beyond the Slay the Spire template, Monster Train is a great choice for long strategic sessions away from home too.